LUIS MIGUEL CRUZ
M.A. in Teaching Spanish as a Second Language (2017)
B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature (2000).
Luis was born and raised in Cuba and speaks Spanish fluently. He is the grandson of an immigrant from Asturias, Spain. The Spanish language has been his true passion since childhood. He participated in innumerable contests at the local and national levels. At the age of fourteen, he won the Golden Medal at the National Spanish Contest for secondary school students. A few years later, Luis had the opportunity to attend college and studied Spanish Language and Literature at the University of Las Villas, Cuba. He graduated with honors and a summa cum laude degree as a Spanish teacher. He is been working in the educational field for more than 20 years, mostly as a college professor and high school teacher.
Luis also has experience as a journalist and professional anchor working for more than a decade for public and private Spanish media stations like Univision and Telemundo Palm Springs. He is the author of the book De la palabra al sonido: cuentística en la radio. (2001).
He has pursued graduate studies at Humboldt State University and the University of California San Diego earning his teaching credentials in Spanish. In 2017, he graduated with honors from the International Master for Spanish Teachers program at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain. Mr. Cruz is a fingerprinted and certified Spanish teacher.
IVANNA CASTRO
B.A. in Psychology and Education Studies (2020)
Mrs. Castro was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and speaks Spanish fluently. She joined Kiddos Lingua in 2021. Currently, she teaches the lower level Spanish class, with kids from Kindergarten to 3er grade. Her teaching beliefs are based on cultural experiences in Mexico and the USA, interactive activities, songs, games, storytelling, role-play, and especially art projects. She is a bilingual teacher with 7 years of experience.
Her passion for education and learning led her to pursue her studies in Psychology and Education at the University of California, San Diego. Since then she has experience working with diverse ages in the education field including tutoring and mentoring. Her education and career have provided a theoretical and research background in the understanding of childhood development and the art of teaching. Her personal experience immersing in a new culture (American society) influenced her compassionate and enthusiastic teaching methods in Spanish. Mrs. Castro’s classroom learning environment promotes fun, compassion, empathy, teamwork, and creativity. As an educator continually seeking to improve her skills in teaching, she is currently involved in postgraduate studies.
We GUARANTEE that…
Our native speakers, certified, and experienced teachers will teach you Spanish in a stress-free atmosphere during the current school year. They will use the experiential and communicative approaches so you can use Spanish from day one in your daily live. Instructors will also provide a variety of materials like textbooks, workbooks, bilingual dictionaries, and online resources per session.
Our Spanish teachers will ask you to complete academic activities, exercises, and projects in class and/or outside the class. All activities will be evaluated and oral/written feedback will be given. Professors will encourage you to practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish with native and non-native speakers systematically.
Our Spanish instructors will determine your fluency level by using formal/informal assessments like questioning, quizzes, tests, etc. Additionally, they will measure your actual mastery of Spanish, accommodate the curriculum to your specific learning style, and make sure you are accomplishing the goal of becoming bilingual.
If we don’t live up to any of the above promises, we insist that you tell us right away. We will restore the above VALUES immediately and ensure the HIGH QUALITY instruction you deserve at all times.